There has been real advances in concrete coatings in the last 20 years and nowadays it is common practice to use these products particularly in commercial applications. Unfortunately most of these products are unsuitable in exterior applications for 2 reasons.
Firstly any exterior trafficable (foot or vehicle) surface must have a non slip finish. Some of these products rely on a glossy repellent surface for structural integrity.
Secondly ideally the durability of an external trafficable surface should be measured in decades not years. Any external coating will be subject to wear. It is often 2 or 3 years down the track when these products need to be reapplied or repaired that the problems begin. Some of these products ( to me at least ) are too expensive for such a limited lifetime.
Sealing can often fall into this category. Sealing is a great way to enhance and protect the surface of concrete. Penetration of your sealer into the surface is key to its long-term durability. A very common sealing issue is deglazing, where the film of sealer on top goes milky and eventually wears away prematurely. This is because that particular coat of sealer has not properly penetrated the surface. It has either been applied incorrectly or onto concrete that has not properly cured (dried) or been applied over the top of another coat of sealer and not bonded.
There are situations where we will recommend sealing and concrete coatings but as mentioned above our aim is to provide a quality job that will last. You can rely on our authentic long term experience.